Dontlookbackatall and Danse Macabre seek return to form in $150K Autumn Days

Trainer Miguel Clement sends out a pair of classy mares in Dontlookbackatall and Danse Macabre as they seek a return to form in Sunday’s $150,000 Autumn Days, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A. 

West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing and Titletown Racing Stables’ Dontlookbackatall [post 8, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] was a last-out fifth in the Floral Park over course and distance on September 13. The 5-year-old Peace and Justice dark bay entered that race from a strong 1 1/2-length second to multiple graded stakes-winner Future Is Now in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Smart and Fancy on August 15 at Saratoga Race Course. 

Dontlookbackatall seeks her first win in her eighth start since last year’s Grade 3 Caress at Saratoga, which followed stakes scores in the Pennsylvania-bred Power by Far at Parx Racing and the Listed License Fee over Sunday’s course and distance last May. She has banked over $700,000 through a 20-6-7-0 record. 

“Dontlookbackatall has been a bit frustrating this year by our standards,” Clement said. “Last year, she was pure brilliance. This year, we’ve been struggling to gain back that form and we are not entirely sure why. In the morning, she looks to be training great and forwardly, so this has been a bit puzzling to be frank. She shows moments of brilliance, but has not been as consistent this year as last year.” 

NBS Stable and Elements Racing’s Danse Macabre [post 4, Joel Rosario] looks to rebound from an eighth in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Ladies Turf Sprint on August 30 at Kentucky Downs. The 5-year-old Army Mule chestnut entered that event from a six-furlong optional claiming win by a head on July 19 at Woodbine Racetrack. 

“She has been running well, I draw a line through her last race,” Clement said. “She would not be the first horse to run a bit of a puzzling performance at Kentucky Downs then come back to run her usual race. She will be reunited with Joel Rosario and I expect her to have a good turn of foot at the end.”

Danse Macabre, with Hall of Famer Joel Rosario up, was third to Future Is Now in the Grade 3 Giant’s Causeway in April at Keeneland ahead of a 2 1/2-length sixth to Pipsy in the Grade 2 Intercontinental in June at Saratoga. 

“Those were two good races, she ran well at Keeneland in her first start of the year, then was a bit unlucky at Saratoga,” Clement said. “She didn’t finish that far away at Saratoga and didn’t have much pace to run at. I think as long as there is some pace to run at, she should give a good account of herself.” 

Danse Macabre, the winner of the 2023 Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park, was second in that year’s Autumn Days for trainer Kelsey Danner. The consistent mare boasts a 16-6-5-2 record with over $1 million in earnings. 

Wertheimer and Frere’s Kentucky homebred Toupie [post 9, Flavien Prat] enters from a 1 1/4-length win over returning rival Lifelovenlaughter in the six-furlong Sensible Lady Turf Dash on September 13 at Laurel Park. Trained by Graham Motion, the 4-year-old Uncle Mo dark bay earned her first win since capturing the Grade 3 Las Cienegas in January at Santa Anita Park. 

Toupie was fourth as the favorite versus elders in last year’s Autumn Days, finishing 2 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Love Appeals. Her lone other effort at the Big A was a win in the 2023 Stewart Manor over course and distance, among her 15-6-2-1 overall record that has banked $450,805. 

November Hill’s Truth and Beauty [post 6, Christopher Elliott] graduated impressively last out in her second career start and first for trainer Ray Handal. The 4-year-old Bolt d’Oro bay made her lone prior outing as a sophomore for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, finishing fourth in a 6 1/2-furlong dirt maiden in December here. 

Truth and Beauty, coming off the bench with blinkers on in a 5 1/2-furlong turf maiden on August 21 at Saratoga, wired the 11-horse field from the inside post under Flavien Prat. 

“She’s doing real good. She’s fast,” Handal said. “We’re getting close to the end of grass season and they’re thinking about potentially breeding her, so a stakes placing would be a big deal.” 

Truth and Beauty’s barn debut earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She seemed like she had a lot of talent,” said Handal. “She was obviously in her 4-year-old campaign making just her second start, she’s had some physical issues along the way, but she is good and sound now, in a good routine, and we look forward to hopefully getting her stakes placed… I wouldn’t object to winning.” 

Truth and Beauty, a $375,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the Grade 2-placed Jimmy Creed mare Del Mar May. 

Copper Thoroughbreds’ Do Gooder [post 3, Javier Castellano] successfully cut back in distance to win a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer on August 28 at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Jena Antonucci, the 4-year-old Good Samaritan dark bay had made her seven prior starts at one mile or beyond, and now turns back another sixteenth of a mile. 

Rounding out the field is dual stakes-winner Lifelovenlaughter [post 7, Jorge Ruiz] for trainer Michael Trombetta; Grade 3-placed Ready to Jam [post 2, Junior Alvarado] for dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse; stakes-winner Cavalier Cupid [post 10, Frankie Dettori] for trainer Sarah Nagle; stakes-placed Rileys Redemption [post 5, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Mike Maker; and two-time winner Johanny [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Eoin Harty. 

St. Benedicts Prep and Roswell are entered for the main track-only. 

The Autumn Days is slated as Race 9 on Sunday’s nine-race card which also features the Listed $150,000 Noble Damsel in Race 7 and the rescheduled $150,000 Carle Place in Race 6. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

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Spiced Up headlines rescheduled $150K Carle Place 

The $150,000 Carle Place, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomores, was originally scheduled for last Sunday, October 12, but was rescheduled for Sunday, October 19 as that entire card was canceled due to a nor’easter. 

The Carle Place, originally carded with 10 horses, was brought back as an extra with entries taken Wednesday and attracted nine of the same horses back into the field, with the lone defector being Bucaro, who is entered today at Presque Isle Downs. 

Topping the field is Spiced Up [post 6, Junior Alvarado], a Juddmonte Kentucky homebred for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The Quality Road bay won the Grade 3 Mahony in August at Saratoga Race Course ahead of an off-the-board effort as the favorite last out in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 1 Franklin-Simpson on September 6 at Kentucky Downs.

The rest of the rescheduled Carle Place field in post-position order is: Out On Bail [post 1, Joel Rosario], Fire Pit [post 2, Andy Hernandez], Landing Craft [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], Global Steve [post 4, Eliseo Ruiz], No Evidence [post 5, Flavien Prat], Cyclonite [post 7, Dylan Davis], Cairo Caper [post 8, Jaime Rodriguez] and Forged Steel [post 9, Javier Castellano].

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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